It’s a Sunday afternoon, I am on my way for a meeting. As I approach the gates of my meeting venue I am welcome by guitar sounds that remind me of the African legends Zaiko Langa Langa, Franzo and Lipua Lipua. The sweetness coming out of those strings can make a flower bloom before it’s days. I cannot help myself but move closer and join the other fans dazing at this blue dressed man playing a guitar with a base drum on his back. Joshua Kamau aka Krackwizz on “stage”. This “street” performer has the Artistic essence of Michelangelo and the scientific aura of Isaac Newton that is seen in the arrangement of his band machine. Unfortunately I don’t have the privilege of enjoying the whole “gig”, I have a meeting waiting with a promise to myself to look for him.

A couple of weeks later, I find him. Thanks to our tiny world shrinked by social media and I reach out. We start talking and I tell him I’d love to do a story about him. As usual the preparation is always something to exercise for. But after about 1 and a half months we are finally set to shoot.

He has been on this One Man aka Solo band thing for 4 years now. He started with playing the recorder in high school, then his love of music made him buy a guitar. His way of learning was walking with his guitar on the streets trying to find someone who can teach him play, and it worked. I am so sure it wouldn’t work for my introverted self, just to put it out there. In 2013 he lands across an idea of a 1 man band from some online research. Takes himself out for shopping in Gikomba market for a base drum and other “paraphernalia” that he would incorporate to form the band. And voila! Just like that, he starts his own 1 man band. Now who does that! Only Krackwizz.Krackwizz his stage name is an acronym of “crack” and “wiz”. Krack from a Swahili word “Kiraka” which means patches and wiz from “wizard”. To mean, music made from a combination of patches/elements. Now that explains it.

As I sip my traditionally fermented porridge and think about my life, I’ll leave this here.